The Automated Work Zone Enforcement Program is a five-year pilot study from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) to address work zone safety in the state. After joining forces with the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission on the project, the first operations began in 2019. The program works by deploying a mobile unit to an active work zone to detect any vehicles going at least 11 miles over the speed limit. When a vehicle goes over the limit, the license plates are captured and a violation is then mailed to the address on file. Not only does the program work to modify driver behavior, it more importantly saves lives (23 work zone fatalities occurred in the state in 2018). Since the program’s inception, PennDOT has experienced a 63 percent reduction in work zone speeding, increasing safety for drivers and workers alike.
America's Transportation Awards 